Cake // Preview

When CAKE emerged in the early 90s, most American bands who could pick up a guitar were doing Nirvana impressions. Against the backdrop of ever-decreasing walls of grunge distortion and mumbling long-haired misanthropes, CAKE rolled up and most certainly didn’t blend into the crowd. With their minimal, box-guitar-accented, stop-start tunes laced with a defiant indifference, they kick-started their discography with a single about how the ‘rock n roll lifestyle’ was a self-contradictory indulgence, rather than a rebellion against anything. Singer, John McCrea is one of the few vocalists to join the likes of Lou Reed who can sound utterly disinterested about what they’re singing and yet entirely captivating at the same time.

After a lengthy absence from the music scene, the band released the single ‘Sinking Ship’ last August and hinted that they may be releasing a seventh album to follow. Bristol is the first stop on their mini-tour this year, which will later take them to France and Luxembourg. So to hear one of the few indie bands around with a 1950s streak, as well as a trumpeter, and possibly catch a rendition of their gloriously awful cover of ‘I Will Survive’ along with the distinct possibility of hearing some new songs, it may be advisable to hurry, as the shows along the tour are quickly selling out.